Suitability assessment

published:27 Aug 2009

Declaring your suitability to teach

All teachers applying for full or provisional registration are required to complete a GTC suitability declaration when applying to register. The declaration forms part of all the applications to register forms and registrations cannot be considered without the declaration being fully completed and signed.

The suitability form is based on these five yes/no questions:

• Have you ever been the subject of a bar, partial bar, warning or other action by the Secretary of State in relation to working with children or misconduct?
• Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offence, including motoring offences, or do you have any criminal charges/proceedings pending against you? (This does not include fixed penalty traffic offences and parking fines).
• Have you ever been subject to any disciplinary sanction by any professional or regulatory body in this country or abroad, or are you currently the subject of investigation by such a body?
• Is there a current employment disciplinary finding against you and/or are you currently the subject of an employer’s disciplinary investigation?
• Is there any other information the Council should know about which may have a bearing upon your suitability to register?

If you can answer NO to all of these questions, you will be deemed suitable for registration. If you answer YES to any question, your application will be further scrutinised, and you may be asked to provide details of the circumstances.

The GTC Suitability Assessment Panel carries out investigations where needed, determining whether suitability can be confirmed. We may seek further information from other bodies, such as the police, in making our assessment. There is an appeals process for failed applicants who wish to contest the decision.

If you have any questions about suitability or the suitability process, please contact the Teacher Enquiry Service:

• email: registration@gtce.org.uk
• phone: 0370 001 0308